t-shirt printing with laser printer

[cleethorpessigns]

hi all
Do you need to have the magic touch printers with there ink to do top quality t-shirt prints?

 

[d fleming]

No, you need to be a screen printer.

 

[cleethorpessigns]

?i couldnt be bothered be screen printing.

 

[d fleming]

Than you won't be making top quality printed shirts. Just sayin'.

 

[bois323]

I have the OKI data 610 and it works great. The toner in the OKI data is way better than the ones in the HP and the Brothers. When I did a test on all three the color was way more vibrant and the hand was softer. It also has good resistance to wash. Plus it has a bypass tray so your paper feeds in straight which is great.

Also the fuser is way more constant than the HP and Brother which is important when printing on heat transfer paper.


I use the Image Clip laser dark self weeding paper, I like this stuff, soft hand and does not crack. My tests shirts are going on 16 washes and only a slight fading and still no cracking.

I use when I have small runs of 20 t-shirts or less to do.

This is the machine I have: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsvJUm4ZMqo

 

[OlsonSigns601]

There are direct to garment printers out there.

I was looking this one a while back:
http://www.belquette.com/mod1.aspx

What I think you are describing is printing on transfer paper with an inkjet or laser printer and then heat pressing it into the T-Shirt.

That would not be the professional way to do it and the colors would fade very quickly.

There is media out there you can get for a solvent printer that will hold up better and allow you to do contour cuts.

But the best option and cheapest operating costs would be a direct to garment printer for doing a small qty of full color t-shirts.

 

[amw]

IMO dye sublimation makes better shirts.
We have also used JPSS on cotton with good washability.
Never used a laser, but have had test prints done off one..we were not impressed with them.

Marsha

 

[WildWestDesigns]

IMO dye sublimation makes better shirts.

I agree when it comes to t-shirts sublimation is a better end product. Although all apparel decorating methods have their issues.

Sublimation though is the one that handles washing (unless they use bleach, well Tide can be bad on shirts as well) the best.

 

[amw]

I agree when it comes to t-shirts sublimation is a better end product. Although all apparel decorating methods have their issues.

Sublimation though is the one that handles washing (unless they use bleach, well Tide can be bad on shirts as well) the best.

Any chance you have any info on the tide thing?
I use tide pretty much all the time and have not seen any issues yet.
I have only washed the same sublimated shirt maybe 25-30 times and it is not a real noticable dif between that and one that wasnt washed yet but made at the same time.
Maybe I need to change my laundry soap!

Marsha

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Any chance you have any info on the tide thing?
I use tide pretty much all the time and have not seen any issues yet.
I have only washed the same sublimated shirt maybe 25-30 times and it is not a real noticable dif between that and one that wasnt washed yet but made at the same time.
Maybe I need to change my laundry soap!

Marsha

Tide generally affects embroidery thread more. Whatever chemicals are in it, doesn't seem to "play nicely" with thread. Although, you do have to keep in mind that P&G has come under fire about this product and some trace amounts of a carcinogen in Tide (I think specific ones though) lately.

 

[Bly]

To answer OP's question, no you don't.
We have used an old Xerox 1250 and the magic touch transfer papers work well enough on white shirts.
There are other papers that are better. It's been a while but from memory on the Magic Touch stuff clear areas yellowed slightly quite soon.
The process is a quick way to do light coloured shirts though.
Simply run the paper through the laser printer and heat transfer onto the shirt.

Edit - some of the newer laser printers' toners don't work as well so try before you buy.